NOVEMBER 20239Dairy products provide high quality, affordable nutrition throughout the world. They offer enjoyable experiences and bring us togethercompared to plant-based alternatives­ most notably in areas of price and nutrition. Alternatives are frequently fortified with dietary fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and other important nutrients. Yet dairy products carry greater levels of essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium, and iodine ­ an element vital toward maintaining a healthy metabolism. Research has found that authentic dairy often provides nutritionally complete protein and a better overall nutritional profile than plant-based sub-stitutes.Meanwhile, dairy substitutes are often far more expensive than the real thing. A recent study found alternative products often reached three times the cost of their dairy counterparts. Natural dairy also tastes great and offers important function-ality when used in recipes.The differences between real cheese and non-dairy imi-tation products are often stark. Non-dairy cheeses ­ products made with nuts, oils, grains, and other plant ingredients ­ do not taste or perform in the same manner as real cheese. Man-ufacturers of non-dairy products have been unable to replicate traditional cheeses' melt or stretch. Furthermore, non-dairy options are limited compared to the wide variety of authentic cheese styles on the market.While new products always capture our curiosity, authen-tic dairy has maintained its importance to consumers in terms of taste, function, nutrition, and cost. Plant-based manufac-turers continue efforts to move closer to dairy in each of those criteria. Meanwhile, dairy innovators are also pushing forward and making great strides in their quest to do more with wholesome milk. In a contest between the new and the traditional, it is worth remembering why we still love the products that have always been with us. Dairy products provide high-quality, af-fordable nutrition throughout the world. They offer enjoyable experiences and bring us together. At Agropur, our innovators are committed to dairy that maintains those important stan-dards while also meeting the needs of the future.
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